Abstract
Most of the previous studies of salivary secretion in humans have been done with adult subjects. The purpose of the present study was to determine the unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rate in response to Gum chewing, taste solution and bite force of primary teeth in children.
The results were as follows:
1. The mean unstimulated whole salivary flow rates and of saliva secreted in response to taste stimuli in children were about 79% and 72% of those in adults, respectively.
2. With the basic four taste stimuli (acid, salty, sweet and bitter stimuli), Acid was the highest flow, Fallowed by salty, sweet and bitter stimuli. There was same order of salivary volume between children and adults.
3. The mean bite forces for children were 36% of those in adults. The parotid salivary flow rates in response to the bite force stimulation increased 6 times of unstimulated flow. The mean time between initiation of stimulation and the achievement of the maximum flow rate of saliva in children was almost the same asin adults.
4. The maximum volume of parotid saliva elicited by the initiation of stimuli was 65% of that in adults. The mean time between initiation of stimulation and achievement of the maximum flow rate was almost the same as in adults.
It is suggested that the salivary flow rate in children was less than that of adult and there were no differences in the functions of the salivary flow between children and adults.
